The incident, which occurred in late July, was confirmed by US officials on 28/8. According to Doug Yakel, a spokesperson for San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in California, a flight attendant discovered the gun an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent had forgotten in a men's restroom. The attendant promptly reported the find to airport security.
Airport security personnel quickly secured the restroom and initiated a 911 call. San Francisco Police officers arrived within minutes. The ICE agent subsequently returned to retrieve the forgotten weapon. The duration the gun remained unattended before its discovery is unknown.
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Handgun and badge of an ICE agent outside the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, US, 6/2025. Photo: AP
Yakel confirmed that SFO reported the incident to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an agency under the US Department of Homeland Security. Details regarding the agent's specific assignment at the airport at the time, or whether disciplinary action will be taken, have not been released.
The incident involving the forgotten gun first surfaced on 26/8. This occurred when NBC Bay Area requested documents pertaining to the arrest of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Gorb, which included an internal email mentioning the event.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not provided a comment on the matter.
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Outside San Francisco International Airport, California, US. Photo: Sanfrancisco Peninsula
The number of ICE agents operating across the US has seen a significant increase. This expansion follows President Donald Trump's return to the White House and his administration's commitment to campaign promises, including widespread immigrant deportations.
Critics suggest that the rapid expansion of ICE has potentially led to a decline in recruitment and training standards. Furthermore, ICE has faced considerable criticism after a series of deadly shootings during its operations, notably an incident in January in Minnesota where two US citizens were killed.
Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, NBC, AP)
